For the past 94 years, Lena Pope has seen the ripple effect of equipping children and their families with resources and how strong families strengthen our community. The Surgeon General’s recent advisory on parental stress brings attention to a need in our society – parents are feeling overwhelmed and alone. In the advisory, he noted 48% of parents say most days their stress is completely overwhelming. “[Parents] are navigating traditional hardships of parenting — worrying about money and safety, struggling to get enough sleep — as well as new stressors, including omnipresent screens, a youth mental health crisis and widespread fear about the future,” shared the Surgeon General.
In Lena Pope’s counseling, education, and behavior intervention programs we believe in supporting the whole child and the whole family and finding ways to connect families with natural supports in their community. It is difficult to parent alone; we need each other and need to know we aren’t the only one struggling. Families in our various programs have expressed a similar sentiment, “It was nice to know we were not alone in our situation.”
What can you do?
- Check on the caregivers in your life. Take a minute to ask how they are doing and then practice active listening, letting them talk without judgement or trying to fix their situation.
- If you’re feeling alone, reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or coworker. Or make an appointment with a therapist.
- Practice self-care. That can be a 10-minute walk, talking with a friend, journaling, or listening to your favorite songs.
- Find ways to connect with your children and with other caregivers.
- Offer respite to caregivers as appropriate to allow for mental health breaks
There are resources to navigate supporting your child and their mental health. And tools to help you create boundaries for screens and social media use for your child and for yourself as a caregiver. Read this article from Lena Pope staff about how to teach kids, and yourself, important skills for handling stress.